Valerie Dubuc (pictured) is convinced that Le Havre has what it takes to become a major turnaround port: easy access, an efficient and modern cruise terminal (with new facilities opening in March 2010), and plenty to see and do in the region.

As the Cruise Director for the Port of Le Havre, Dubuc says that even airlift to her city soon will pose no problem. Currently, the transfer from Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Le Havre takes about three hours by bus or train, but within a couple of years TGV rail service will cut the time between the two destinations to only one hour.

With such ease of connections from airport to port, Le Havre could well put itself on the map as a key turnaround destination. For now, however, Le Havre bills itself as the "Gateway to Paris," and indeed, on the day that I arrived on Oceania's Regatta, one of more than 50 ships that called on Le Havre this past season, many passengers disembarked for bus transfers to explore the City of Light. (Dubuc says that more than half of all excursions sold on ships calling in Le Havre are for Paris).

A Lot To Love About Le Havre

Those passengers might have spared themselves six hours in the bus and stayed put in Le Havre. From my perspective, they missed out on a thoroughly charming experience in the Haute-Normandie region of France.

At first glance, Le Havre may not dazzle cruise passengers — the city was detroyed and rebuilt after World War II — but those who venture into the heart of the city will quickly begin to appreciate Le Havre's charm.

Le Havre's town center, which was rebuilt by architect Auguste Perret, is Europe's first mid-20th-century urban settlement to be included in the World Heritage List. Known as the "poet of concrete," Perret rebuilt Le Havre in a style of postwar architecture that ranks as a tour de force of modernism.

To fully appreciate Perret's innovative approach and art form, cruise passengers need only request a map at the cruise terminal to stroll the city at their own pace.

Getting Into, And Around, Town

Le Havre's cruise terminal is excellently equipped to help cruise passengers get their bearings. The terminal features staffed information kiosks with maps, brochures and advice on sightseeing. There's car and bike rental, as well as internet access at a cost of 4 euros for one hour.

Taxis offer a variety of tours, and prices are fixed and posted and also quite reasonable. Four people sharing a taxi to the city center, for example, will spend only 2 euros per person. The city also provides complimentary shuttles into the center, although some cruise companies contract their own shuttle services.

The city's terminal-to-city-center shuttle runs every 45 minutes and makes four stops (two on Rue de Paris, one at Place de Hôtel de Ville and another near the seafront). Passengers can hop on and off near the attractions they want to see.

Dubuc recommends that for those who arrive by ship on weekdays to hop off at the Town Hall, because it is central to the pedestrian shopping streets and attractions, including Le Halles, the covered market.

"The best thing to do is to ask at the cruise terminal where you should begin your tour," Dubuc says. "Some of the museums are closed on certain days. For example, the Malraux Museum is closed on Tuesdays. However, there's always a museum open on any day that cruise passengers are here."

For an overview of the city, cruise passengers also can hop on the tourist train for 5 euros. The 75-minute tour is conducted only in French, however, but with English-language pamphlets.

Historic Homes

If you do hop off at Place de Hôtel de Ville, be sure to visit the Historic Show Flat, which is typical of a French apartment during the postwar reconstruction period. Tours of the furnished apartment, in French only, are conducted on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on the hour from 2 p.m. unitil 5 p.m.

The tour is not easy for tourists to find, as it's not well-marked, so show up a few minutes early at Place de Hôtel de Ville, at the corner of Rue de Paris. Other tourists will be waiting, so feel free to join them.

Cruise passengers will also want to visit the Shipowner's House, or maison de l'amateur. The interior of the late 18th-century mansion (one of the last traces remaining of 18th-century Le Havre) is architecturally stunning. The house features an octagonal light shaft that dominates the center of the multi-story home. Rooms flanking the central well are furnished in period style and feature maritime artifacts.

Impressive Impressionists

Le Havre's Malraux Museum tellingly evokes the Normandy sea and skyline, not only through its large collection but also through the innovative 1960's glass-and-metal structure itself. A work of art inside and out, the museum features large windows that allow museum visitors to view the works of the great impressionists in the light that inspired them. As the "Birthplace of Impressionism," Le Havre claims an Impressionistic art collection that is second only to the collection at Paris' Musee d'Orsay.

Other worthwhile attractions include the Hanging Gardens, situated in an old fort overlooking Le Havre and Baie de Seine; the Elise St. Joseph, one of France's most impressive 20th-century churches; and the picturesque Seafront (La Plage), where you'll find an abundance of small restaurants serving such French specialties as mussels and other seafood. If you're having lunch away from the ship, this is the place.

For those pressed for time, Dubuc recommends seeing the Historic Show Flat first, then the Ship Owner's House and ending it off with the Malreux Museum — or do it in the opposite direction.

With proper planning, it is possible not only to experience the best that Le Havre has to offer but also to make a short excursion to the picturesque village Honfleur, about 30 minutes away, with its half-timbered houses and cobbled streets.

Situated on the English Channel at the mouth of the Seine River, Le Havre is ideally positioned to welcome both cruise ships and river cruise vessels. No matter which mode of transport they use, Dubuc encourages cruise passengers arriving to Le Havre to "sleep in and not rush off for the long day in Paris." Stay put in Le Havre, a place sure to leave a good, and lasting, impression. — Ralph Grizzle